Todd Graham agrees to extension at Arizona State

Sep. 18, 2013
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Todd Graham is in his second season at Arizona State but it is his fourth head coaching job since 2006. He spent one year at Rice, four years at Tulsa and one year at Pitt before going to the Sun Devils. / Matt Kartozian, USA TODAY Sports

by Doug Haller, USA TODAY Sports

by Doug Haller, USA TODAY Sports

The Arizona Board of Regents is expected to approve next week a contract extension for Arizona State football coach Todd Graham.

The decision will extend Graham's contract through June 30, 2018. It will increase Graham's salary from $2.05 million to $2.3 million, effective July 1. Thereafter, Graham's salary will increase to $2.4 million on Jan. 1, 2014, and $2.5 million on Jan. 1, 2015, and $2.6 million on Jan. 1, 2016.

On each Jan. 1 thereafter, Graham's annual salary will increase by $50,000.

Among Graham's performance incentives: He will receive 50% of his salary if the Sun Devils win the national championship and 25% if they win any major bowl game (Rose, Sugar, Orange, Cotton, Peach or Fiesta). Graham will receive $25,000 if ASU wins any "non-major" bowl game. He will receive 20% of his salary if ASU wins the Pac-12 championship.

Under terms of the extension, ASU may terminate the contract at any time without cause but will have to pay Graham his annual salary for the remainder of the contract term. If Graham terminates the contract and takes another college or professional coaching position, ASU may collect as much as $1.5 million.

If at any time Graham's contract is not renewed and the terms decrease to four years, the damage amount ASU can receive drops to $1 million for the rest of the contract.

Graham - currently under contract until the end of the 2016 season - is in his second year at ASU. The Sun Devils finished 8-5 last year, defeating rival Arizona and beating Navy in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl. This season, ASU is 2-0 and No. 23 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll. The Sun Devils visit No. 5 Stanford on Saturday.

Doug Haller also writes for The (Phoenix) Arizona Republic, a Gannett property.